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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Teacher's Tea Fund

158 replies

Foxtrot92 · 07/09/2017 21:32

I work as TA in a very small school, working only 2 hours in the afternoon, 3 days a week.

Today a teacher approached me and asked for £15 towards the tea fund for the term. She was very nice and said that's what everyone was contributing.

I refused politely saying that I'm only in 6 hours a week, bring in my own mug with tea and sugar in and only use a splash of milk. I did offer something towards the milk or offered to start bringing in my own. The teacher flapped muttering 'fine, if that's how you want to be' before storming off.

WIBU? As a TA on 6 hours a week for minimum wage, I can't afford £15 for a tea fund I hardly benefit from. I don't eat the cakes and biscuits they buy (don't like cakes and biscuits ).

OP posts:

LindyHemming · 07/09/2017 22:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WishfulThanking · 07/09/2017 22:11

But back to your question, YANBU.

proplapsingallover · 07/09/2017 22:13

Wow, every company I have ever worked in provides tea and coffee for free! I didn't know a tea fund was a thing!

Public sectors workers have to pay for their own tea and coffee.

Maryof1993 · 07/09/2017 22:13

We had a tea fund. Someone used the milk everyday for their cereal!

ADishBestEatenCold · 07/09/2017 22:14

"bring in my own mug with tea and sugar in and only use a splash of milk"

I am absolutely stunned that in a 2 hour shift, you need a tea break.

Is that a usual thing? Do people generally need a hot drink at some point within just two hours of work?

orlantina · 07/09/2017 22:15

How long have you worked there?

We have a pro-rata system for part timers. A shared drink with staff - especially if you make one together - helps make a team.

I've been to many schools - and some have shared coffee etc, others have individual drinks. It's nice when the staff make a brew or coffee for each other from the communal source.

orlantina · 07/09/2017 22:16

Public sectors workers have to pay for their own tea and coffee

Indeed we do.

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 07/09/2017 22:16

Ours is pro rata. I pay a bit under £8 per month but this isn't only for tea and coffee, it also covers birthday cards and a fund so people off sick for a while or bereaved get sent flowers, and it covers nicer hand soap in the staff toilets. TBH I rarely drink anything from the work supplies as I bring my own decent coffee in a flask and can't drink any of the soft drinks as they are all 'no added sugar' and I react badly to artificial sweeteners but I don't begrudge paying and I still do my week on the washing up rota. I don't work full time hours and I know I pay less because of that.

Judydreamsofhorses · 07/09/2017 22:17

wishful I'm a lecturer and we are not allowed to have kettles in our offices, so we have to pay the on-campus Costa prices for hot drinks. Lots of people bring flasks. I would die for free tea and coffee at work!

OP, you are definitely not being unreasonable.

orlantina · 07/09/2017 22:17

Do people generally need a hot drink at some point within just two hours of work

I need one when I get to work.

OneWildNightWithJBJ · 07/09/2017 22:18

I was asked to contribute to the milk fund once, but just smiled, said I didn't drink tea or coffee (or milk!) and walked off! No way was I paying for something I never used. No-one minded. Did end up loading the dishwasher at another school though, despite not using a single item that ever went in it. Was only there for a couple of weeks though. Luckily, my new school doesn't seem to have any such rotas... So, no, YNBU.

MyGirlDaisy · 07/09/2017 22:20

Yanbu. I used to do volunteer reading at my children's primary school, 3 hours in the morning and the teacher used to bring me a coffee back from the staff room at break. I noticed after a while she stopped doing it, turned out that whoever was in charge of the 'tea fund' expected us volunteers to contribute 50p for our tea or coffee - I thought that was unreasonable too!

minoandolphin · 07/09/2017 22:22

I've had the opposite insanity to this. In one place I worked, they foolishly put the guy in charge of financial strategy in charge of the tea fund. He asked everyone exactly what they drank (tea, instant coffee, filter coffee), whether they took milk and/or sugar, how many hours they worked. He had a spreadsheet, which he adjusted accordingly if someone was off sick, on holiday or worked more hours than usual. It was worked out to the nearest pence.

Fair, yes - scrupulously so. Batshit insane, had us wondering how much free time he had at work if he could come up with that - also yes!

WishfulThanking · 07/09/2017 22:22

Public sectors workers have to pay for their own tea and coffee.

Ah, of course. Thank you.

ADishBestEatenCold · 07/09/2017 22:24

"I need one when I get to work."

Within your working hours, orlantina? And if you only worked a few hours?

So if you (someone) were paid to work from 10am to 12 noon, it would be okay to arrive at your desk/station/whatever and immediately take a tea break?

Or would you arrive earlier in order to be able to take a tea break before your paid hours commenced?

Greenteandchives · 07/09/2017 22:24

Dressed that is what I do. Box of fruit teas, keep it in my drawer, just add hot water. Easy.

orlantina · 07/09/2017 22:25

I once did some work in a private school. The staffroom was all lovely chairs. There was fresh coffee percolating away, a massive range of teas to choose from, fresh pastries and fruit in the staffroom and all of this free to the staff.

How the other 10% live

orlantina · 07/09/2017 22:26

and immediately take a tea break

Grab a coffee and sit down at the desk. So not a break. A coffee at the desk.

Waterlemon · 07/09/2017 22:28

It was quite rude of her!

We have a little pot requesting 20p for the odd cup of tea/coffee for those that don't contribute to the main kitty.

Although our HT has requested that if people are using the kitty milk on a regular basis, they need to either bring in their own milk or contribute to the main kitty as it's not fair on everyone else.

profpoopsnagle · 07/09/2017 22:28

If you decide that you want to contribute, then it should be pro rata (per day/half day). £15 per term full time is very reasonable, but it should be pro rata in your case (as in the hours you work there, not base on the job that you do).

If you decide that you don't want to contribute then you need to take your own milk in (which is the only communal thing you have used so far).

Life is too short to argue about tea money in schools.

DjangoUnchained · 07/09/2017 22:28

Ours is free now at my current school but if you don't may and take a 'splash' of milk, believe me, your name will be mud

DjangoUnchained · 07/09/2017 22:29

Pay not may

SparklyUnicornPoo · 07/09/2017 22:29

YANBU I don't contribute to ours because I don't drink hot drinks. I know the dinner ladies don't either because they are only in for 7.5 hours a week, it's never been an issue.

Willow2017 · 07/09/2017 22:29

Loving how people are missing the part where op says she brings her own tea in in a flask and are working out how much she owes for all those cups of tea she (isnt) having per term!

Original poster

Foxtrot92 · 07/09/2017 22:31

I am absolutely stunned that in a 2 hour shift, you need a tea break

Sorry, where does it say I take a tea break? I arrive 15 minutes early to say hi to colleagues and get things ready. So you can stick your assumptions up your arse

OP posts:

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